Campus Life

A team of UC Merced engineering students brought hands-on lessons on drones and robotics to hundreds of children and families at the recent Tri-Valley Innovation Fair.

“Drones and robots are a gateway, a spark for young people to explore STEM,” said Leigh Bernacchi, program director of the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) and the Banatao Institute at UC Merced, who led the students in the all-day demonstrations at the March 19 fair.

Higher education and high textbook prices usually go hand in hand, but hundreds of UC Merced students have been able to keep more money in their pockets thanks to a grant program.

The new UC Merced Bobcat STEM Scholars Program, funded by a $1.4 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), will provide four years of scholarship support for up to 10 eligible incoming students per year who declare majors within the university’s School of Natural Sciences (SNS).

The UC Merced women's basketball team beat Westcliff University 64-46 on Tuesday night to win their fourth California Pacific Conference Tournament Championship in the last eight years.

For the first time, through March, UC Merced’s Student Alumni Association (SAA) will partner with the Office of Alumni Relations to host a month-long initiative dedicated to building a culture of philanthropy on campus.

Preparations are underway for this year's production of Shakespeare in Yosemite, and the show promises to be groovy.

The Northern California Chapter of the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation has named UC Merced its newest partner university.

ARCS, a national organization established and operated entirely by women, is committed to the advancement of science in the United States by financially supporting distinguished graduate students in science, technology, engineering, math and medical research disciplines at its partner institutions. The Northern California chapter was founded in 1970; it supports six other universities in the region.

If tree growth and seed production can’t compensate for the impacts of climate change, California’s trees will face difficulty filling in gaps left by wildfire and reaching areas that are becoming climatically suitable, studies now show. 

As part of the 2021-22 Governor’s California Comeback Plan, UC Merced students will get the opportunity to serve their community while receiving financial support for college through the new program #CaliforniaForAll College Fellowship.

A team from UC Merced comprising eight undergraduate and graduate students has won the inaugural CITRIS Aviation Prize. For engineering the winning proposal, they will receive a $2,000 cash award, as well as a $25,000 budget to support a live demonstration of their flight in spring 2022.